Intertwined
by SereneMelodies
Summary: Kuroko Tetsuya is a man with many burdens to bear, none of which he regrets despite their toll on his health. When his past comes back to haunt him, however, will he be able to cope with the new presence in his life? AoKuro/KiKuro and many other pairings. Slice-of-life, drama, romance, AU. Will become M rated later.


**Author's Note: **Serena here. What am I doing, starting yet another ongoing fic? Well, I simply could not get this idea out of my head. In fact, it's blocking everything else I want to write. That's how badly I am _itching_ to write this. This is not going to be a fic I'm necessarily going to prioritize so updates may be _**VERY**_ slow. The genre is slice-of-life, as well as drama and romance (like always, uhuhu). There will be some angst and there will be some fluff. Lots of characters and interactions.

**Warning: **This fic _will_ become M-rated. It will deal with sexual content, explicit language, and violence. It is **AU**.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story as it unfolds!

**Intertwined**

* * *

_Restart: The Pursuit of Happiness_

_Chapter 1_

* * *

Kuroko Tetsuya was tired. So very tired.

Thursday nights were the busiest and, therefore, the worst of the week.

With a heavy sigh, the light blue-haired male tugged off his jacket and let it slide to the floor into a heap, not caring about his untidiness today. Ignoring the little voice in the back of his mind demanding that he pick it up right this instant, he plopped on to the bed with the weariness of a middle-aged man, despite the fact that he was actually rather young at 25 years of age. He stared at the ceiling without quite _seeing_ anything and stayed unnaturally still, as though he were immobilized. Every fiber of his being seemed to ache with exhaustion, yet his eyes wouldn't close.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

His vision began to blur a little, the patterns of the ceiling's peeling paint meshing into an unrecognizable blob of color, or rather lack thereof. It was an unattractive shade of pale beige, to say nicely. Maybe more like a grayish white.

_Just blink already._

Each passing second seemed excruciatingly long, the clock's beat drumming into his head.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

There was nothing, he reminded himself, that he regretted about his decisions that led him to where he was today. He loved his job, loved the little kindergarteners that gave him so much joy without expecting anything in return. Everything happened the way it did for a reason, and he gladly accepted his situation in life. He was loved and he had loved. In many ways, he knew he was a blessed man. A roof over his head, food on the table, clothes on his back...

If only he could find some way to assuage this dark emotion that he couldn't quite ever seemed to get rid of…

"Papa?"

Kuroko immediately sat up, scrambling to look presentable, smiling gently. He wondered if he smelled strange or just generally terrible, sniffing as quietly as he could to try and discern it. How long had it been since he had washed himself properly? To say he had lost track of time would be a great understatement.

Detecting nothing, however, he set his feet firmly on the floor and waved at her, expression bright and carefree. If he wasn't careful with his thoughts, he would be too overwhelmed by the weight of everything. He shoved his thoughts away as though he could lock them up in the deep recesses of his mind, certainly away from Aoi and her curiosity.

"Hey, come here."

He opened his arms and his daughter ran to him, clutching at his chest with small, chubby fingers. A faint scent of chocolate wafted up to his nose and he chuckled softly. Somehow she always managed to be more like her mother than him. The only resemblance was in their physical features, both having the icy blue eyes and hair the color of the sky. "How are you today, Aoi? Did you have fun?"

"Kaga-oniichan made me soup for dinner and it was very yummy," she answered shyly but cheerfully. A blush spread across her cheeks. "I missed you, Papa."

"I missed you too. And I bet the soup really was pretty delicious, huh. He's really good at cooking after all. Did he save some for me?"

"Nope! He said he would eat it all up and you don't get any," she giggled and Kuroko laughed along with her, stroking her hair and kissing her on the forehead. It still surprised him to this very day that he was holding a living being in his arms, taking care of a child who meant more to him than himself.

Kuroko Aoi was the light of his life.

As for Kagami, he could only appreciate that the firefighter, as well as countless others, took care of her when he wasn't around. All of them lived together at Seirin House, a misnamed apartment complex (why someone would ever call an enormous, slightly rundown building a _house_ he would never know), and Kuroko's neighbors always looked out for the two of them.

He had moved here almost right after Aoi was born, but they had never questioned his circumstances, accepting him immediately into their family, so to speak. Kuroko was really rather fond of them all. Compassion, not pity, drew them all together.

Either that, or cheap rent.

"Yeah. He makes yummy stuff," she repeated, sitting down on his lap and curling up against his chest. With a loud yawn, she slumped and he picked her up into his arms, taking her to her bedroom where an army of stuffed animals awaited her – a bear as a present from Kagami, another one from Hyuuga, yet another one from Izuki, and numerous other housewarming gifts for the child.

As he readjusted his hold on her, resting her head against his shoulders as he supported her weight by cradling his arms, he felt a little tug on his sleeve.

"What is it, Aoi?" he murmured, looking into slumberous eyes so much like his own.

"I don't wanna go to sleep."

His chest tightened, her little pout making his heart feel heavy. "But you look tired. Growing children have to sleep, you know?"

"I get to see Papa now…I don't want you to go away…"

"I'll take you to bed, okay? So-"

"Stay…Don't go…" The barely three-year-old was all but unconscious, losing her battle against fatigue. His jaw clenched automatically from an emotion he couldn't quite put his finger on. He never got to spend as much time with her as he wanted, and every moment was so precious…

He set her down carefully on her bed and tucked the blankets around her tightly, stretching out besides her peacefully sleeping figure. Her light blue hair really was so similar to his, he noticed, brushing away the stray stands of her bangs away from her face. But her cheekbones, the shape of her nose, her smile, even down to the way her lips quirked…

Kuroko exhaled slowly.

She would surely be disappointed in him.

Sometimes he wondered what would have happened if things had gone a little differently during the birthing process, if she had been able to handle the second baby that had pushed her otherwise perfect health beyond its limits-

But it wasn't fair to the unborn baby, Aoi's twin, to think that way; and it was certainly unfair to his wife. Accidents happened every day, as did unfortunate events. She just happened to be the victim of some cruel, twisted fate. Her body had been unable to handle twins and she chose to save her child, the one that had managed to survive.

Things happened for a reason. That didn't mean it stopped him from missing her at times like this, a painful wistfulness that always took him off guard. Sporadic moments of longing made him wonder if he was really doing things right. He had become a single father at the age when most of the people simply graduated college and entered the real world whether they liked it or not. He had taken on responsibilities many would have wanted to refuse, had insisted on taking care of Aoi no matter what.

Had he been acting foolish back then? Had he made the wrong decisions in the folly of youth? Perhaps it had been out of responsibility, not love, that he felt compelled to raise her, even on his own.

Kuroko turned towards the ceiling again, eyes closed. Aoi's soft wheezing (he couldn't quite consider that _snoring_) lulled his senses. She said she wanted him here, but he took much more comfort in her presence than she would ever know. In fact, he wasn't certain he'd be able to live without her anymore. She was what he lived for.

There was nothing he could do to fix the past, and he wasn't entirely sure he even wanted to. In fact, Aoi was proof that he definitely wouldn't have changed anything. Would life have been easier if he had simply abandoned her? But he couldn't imagine doing that.

A muscle coiled tightly somewhere around his lungs and he gritted his teeth in pain.

_Breathe. In. Out. In. Out._

He had loved Momoi Satsuki, still loved her, missed her.

For him, though, their relationship had never involved the passionate, whirlwind, stormy emotions typical of love. Yet, Kuroko had loved her all the same. His heart never beat faster for her or skipped a beat at the thought of her, but he had cried at her death. He hadn't been unhappy, not at all – rather, he remembered some of the best moments of his life involving her.

Coming home to see her bright smile, hear her cheerful chatter about how her work had gone – she had decided to model after high school, and she had been really good at it, too – her soft voice…to feel her gentle touch and embrace whenever they had the rare chance to see each other…

He tried not to bother Aoi as he shuffled in the small bed, trying to be more comfortable. By no means was he a large man, but the little bed creaked under his weight. Little girls had to have their own beds, Momoi had said. That way, they could sleep as peacefully as princesses could.

Those little things, little phrases, he missed them.

Did _she _regret it?

He had never been able to offer the kind of love she wanted, the way most girls dreamed of, but Momoi had insisted that all she needed to make her happy was Kuroko himself. They had gotten married right after high school, something he never thought he would do, but Momoi had been so earnest, so honest in her feelings for him, that he knew he would never find someone like her ever again.

He had never been able to treat Momoi the way she deserved to be, and that fact hurt him even though it was his fault. As college students, they had been utterly broke, living together in a small rented apartment with instant food, disposable utensils and containers. Burdened with part-time jobs and studying, the time that they had been able to spend together amounted to little.

Had they been happy?

They had struggled together, making ends meet, but it hadn't been a bad experience. If anything, they had gone through several years of life as a truly married couple, with both its ups and downs.

Kuroko sat up and stared at Aoi's peacefully sleeping figure.

It was all so ironic.

He needed money to support Aoi. At the same time, money was the reason why he couldn't spend time with her the way he wanted. He needed it to make things more comfortable for her, needed it so that they could stay together. It was a vicious cycle. Had his wife survived, they would have worked together to provide for their family; perhaps, they would have had two daughters. Momoi had become the glue to his world, holding everything together, and with her death, his life had fallen apart.

Kuroko's fingers curled into his palms, blunt nails digging half-moons into his palms as his hands fisted.

He had to be that kind of glue for Aoi, had to give her the love and stability of two parents. As a kindergarten teacher, he knew how to teach, approach, and raise children. If anything, his gift was having patience unrivaled by any other. Still, he would have been grateful if it had been possible to learn something like Parenting 101 in college.

_No regrets._

With a yawn, Kuroko stretched and got off the bed, treading across the small bedroom with light footsteps, eventually closing the door behind him. He pulled out his severely outdated phone and glanced down at it for the time.

_9:30_

Good, he still had time to make it to his shift without being late. He picked up the crumpled jacket and slung it over his shoulders, shoving on his shoes and locking the door to their apartment. Quickly, he dialed up Hyuuga's phone number.

"_Hello?"_

"Hi, senpai. Do you think you could check up on Aoi tonight on your way back from work?"

"_Ugh, it's a Thursday night, isn't it?"_

Kuroko chuckled softly. "You know it is."

"_I know that, you idiot." _Hyuuga sighed. _"I'll probably end up staying over then. I'm heading to Seirin in maybe 10 minutes."_

"Thank you," Kuroko murmured before hanging up. He got into the elevator and tried not to feel sick at the sinking feeling in his stomach. As soon as the doors opened, he stepped out and headed for the subway.

_I'm sorry I had to leave you today, too. Sweet dreams, Aoi…_

[~ * ~]

In the heart of Tokyo, the hustle and bustle of people refused to cease, even at the current time when night met day. A hazy blue color began to emerge from the previously pitch black sky, unnoticed by the crowd of men and women rushing to get to one place or another for reasons unknown.

A seemingly quiet place below ground, marked only by a modest sign reading _Welcome to Hinansho_, thrived in the nighttime and in the early hours in which the average person should be sleeping. It had only been a few years, but the club had earned a reputation for great service, fantastic waiters, and an overall good feel where one could meet new people. In actuality, it was more of an elegant host club more than anything else, but both men and women enjoyed the food, drinks, and the classy ambiance.

Therefore, it was unbelievably and truly successful.

For Kuroko, the club provided a safe haven where he could work without worry. It paid extraordinarily well for his few hours and, if he had any choice in the matter, he would stay here all day with the exception of his teaching job. It was just that its operating hours were a bit unusual, from 11 pm to 5 am.

The club, after all, made quite a profit from the neighboring hotels that it often sent its clients to.

Kuroko stripped off his long-sleeved turtleneck, replacing it with the classic, crisp white dress shirt and black vest expected of the club's waiter attire. Taking off his faded jeans and replacing it with dark slacks, he straightened out his discarded clothes, hanging them up quickly in his locker before briefly checking his physical appearance in the mirror.

He looked terrible. Nothing could be done about his bloodshot eyes. His boss would definitely have a fit…

Speaking of which…

He took the little bottle of light brown concealer, courtesy of his nitpicky boss, and swiped some underneath his eyes, rubbing it in with his fingers. Still looking haggard, he left the locker room with a sigh, at least dressed the part, remembering to wear a tie. As soon as he got to the bar, he was met with a, "Take this to table 20."

Kuroko nodded at the gray-eyed bartender and grabbed the drink, placing it smoothly on the platter against his arm before making his way to the table that he'd been assigned to. He gripped the tray as if his life depended on it, having broken too many dishes to count by mishandling them.

Ah, if one thought about it, that was ironic, too.

Takao Kazunari had been his natural born enemy years ago, back in high school. The one man who had been able to truly _see _him, despite his nonexistent presence. He hadn't left Kuroko alone, constantly calling him out and drawing attention to him when Kuroko really didn't mind fading away into the background, being a wallflower. Kuroko had been extremely irritated, especially in class.

Yet here they were, working together, no longer rivals but coworkers. In fact, it had been the hawk-eye who had recruited him into the club, saying that he needed someone with "invisible talents".

It was funny how life worked out sometimes.

The slight jingle of the door immediately caught Takao's attention and another waiter was sent to greet the customer. Kuroko ignored it and set the drink down on the proper table before heading back to the counter, when a soft, familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.

"As undetectable and efficient as always. How are you holding up, Tetsuya?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Just a little tired," Kuroko said politely. "And you, Akashi-kun?"

Heterochromatic eyes flashed with some indiscernible emotion. "I'm in a bit of a bad mood today. Will you give me some of your time and keep me company?"

At that, Kuroko couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "You're the only one who would ever ask."

"Then these people are all blind, aren't they?" Akashi murmured, a dangerous undertone to his voice making Kuroko shiver. He obediently took a seat next to the redhead. The man really did seem to be in a foul mood and if Kuroko treasured his job (which he did), he wasn't going to screw this up by saying something unwanted.

"It's not that. I just don't have much of a presence while some of the other…hosts do," Kuroko said slowly.

Indeed, the club was filled with some mismatched characters. Even one of Kuroko's quaint neighbors worked here, known as the gentle, tall giant, popular for his kindness.

People definitely came for the hosts.

"That's why I like coming here. I get you all for myself," Akashi teased, taking a sip of his scotch on the rocks, expression unchanging despite the strong alcohol content of the drink. Thin, nimble fingers toyed with the glass, swirling its contents into an amber blur.

Kuroko smiled easily. "You flatter me, sir."

For all the times Akashi Seijurou had come to Hinansho, for all his flirty talk, he had never actually made a move on Kuroko, which was fine with him.

The club was surprisingly quite full of gay people, something Kuroko had come to realize after being hit on a couple of rare times. So, he was perfectly fine being the waiter behind the scene. While the other hosts entertained and brought drinks, Kuroko was usually the one making sure everyone's glasses were refilled on time, retrieving food and escorting people to more private rooms if that became necessary.

"Would you like to talk about what's bothering you?"

Akashi grimaced. "Not exactly. Ignorant people irritate me, especially when my pride is on the line."

At the cryptic words, Kuroko could only offer a weak, "I see."

"But you don't, do you? I don't mind that you don't," Akashi murmured to more to himself than to the bluenette. He straightened his posture and raised his glass in his usual way, bored and careless.

Kuroko couldn't find the right words to say. Holding a conversation with the overwhelming redhead was more than he could handle today.

"Ah…if only I could monopolize a bit more of your time," Akashi said quietly, exactly at the moment when the buzzer vibrated in Kuroko's pocket. A curious, round walkie-talkie kind of device, the buzzer was the creation of one of the hosts. It vibrated when Takao needed help, though often times they were busy with their clients.

"I don't have to leave if you don't want me to," Kuroko said matter-of-factly but Akashi only laughed.

"You can get going, Tetsuya. I don't want to disturb your work."

Kuroko nodded, the tone of finality obvious. He got up, tucking the platter securely under his arm.

"I hope you have a good night."

"Don't work too hard," Akashi smiled, waving his fingers slightly. The bluenette bowed his head slightly before heading back to the bar.

It was obvious to him that his shirt pocket was significantly heavier than it had been before. He didn't know how the man did it, always managing to give him an enormous tip for doing nothing but sitting for a few minutes. Akashi Seijurou was an enigma to all, coming and going as he pleases, without warning, spontaneous.

But it was true that the other hosts always managed to make more money than him in tips, which was only natural.

He sighed. Maybe he needed to put in more effort to be noticeable.

"To Table 13," Takao said as soon as he got to the bar. He was definitely irritated. Something about his terse movements gave it away. "The chef is being ridiculous again, as always."

"What's wrong this time?"

Takao's eyebrows twitched dangerously. "Whenever Ta-chan isn't around, he just becomes totally insane, you know?"

"Don't get so angry, Takao-kun," Kuroko grinned. "The man can hardly contain himself. He did become a chef, but his appetite is the same as always."

Takao puffed out his cheeks, annoyed.

"In any case, you're free to sleep after you take that last dish. Ri-chan's worried about you…" Takao drifted off but turned around to grab another bottle and pour this and that into a tall glass. "Plus, you have bags under your eyes that her super concealer couldn't even hide. Are you getting enough sleep? Wait, actually, don't answer that. I already know the answer."

Kuroko shrugged. "Don't assume things so quickly. I'm holding up. It's alright."

"Why don't you just quit your other day job? Not the teaching one but the other one...Are you really so short on money?" Takao asked bluntly. "I thought this one pays well enough…"

"It's not like that. The rent bill went up and I still have some things to repay here and there," Kuroko answered vaguely. "Thank you for your concern."

"Heh…I got it, I got it. I'll back off," Takao winced dramatically, expertly sliding a glass down the counter to the customer. "You just don't like me butting in your business."

"You said it, not me," Kuroko laughed. Then he sobered, leaning against the wall. "The secretarial job doesn't pay well at all…but it comes with insurance benefits and it's a respectable position."

"Kuroko, you know you don't have to prove anything," Takao murmured, preparing yet another drink. "Your health is important, and you were never a super athletic sort of person. There's no point in working yourself into oblivion."

"Is that so…" Kuroko closed his eyes, the world a blur to his ears, sounds of the gentle music in the background clashing with the clamor of the people situated at various tables.

_Then what _am_ I supposed to do with myself?_

[~ * ~]

"It's time to get up…Club's closing…"

With tremendous effort, Kuroko fought against his heavy eyelids and lurched upright into a sitting position. Somewhere along the way, someone had taken him to a spare room to let him sleep peacefully, since he had most definitely stretched out on a comfortable bed.

Sleep peacefully…?

His eyes widened as he saw the sun peep in through the blinds covering the windows, and searched for the clock, his phone, anything that would tell the time-

"Don't worry, Kurokocchi, you're not late."

At that, the tension slowly left his shoulders and he slumped, trying to ignore the raging headache that began thumping at his temples. He knew his body protested against the lack of proper sleep, muscles groaning from overuse. Then the friendly nickname finally sunk in and Kuroko yawned as politely as he could.

"Good morning, Kise-kun…"

The blond was looking perfect as usual, a button down shirt hugging his broad, athletic frame with an elegance that should be illegal for someone this early in the morning. Everything about him screamed designer brands from head to toe. As expected of a former model.

Golden hair fell effortlessly around a flawless face and if Kuroko didn't know any better, he would have guessed Kise was wearing makeup. But the ex-model simply had good skin to begin with. A cheery smile, sparkling eyes, and exuding a bright energy, Kise was like the sun.

Much too bright for this morning.

"Do you want me to carry you~?"

"Please don't be ridiculous," Kuroko mumbled, frowning as he yanked himself out of bed. His expression, he knew, was probably _very_ attractive. Just looking at Kise made him want to go straight back into the covers and hide from the sunniness that Kise radiated. "What are you doing here?"

"You're so mean!" Kise pouted. "I just wanted to see you, that's all."

"Ah, if you came to be waited on, I'm sorry I didn't stay awake during my shift-"

Kise vigorously shook his head. "No, no, that's not it. Don't worry about it. I'm telling you I just came to see you, that's all."

"It's really early, you know…"

"I was just on my way to work," Kise huffed, trying to defend himself. "Don't make me feel weird. There's nothing strange about this!"

"….Sorry. I'm just being cranky," Kuroko said quietly, forcing himself to leave the bed again. Kise really was a nice person, as overly enthusiastic as he could get sometimes, and Kuroko couldn't help getting a little skeptical once in a while.

Oh dear. He could just _feel_ how messed up his hair was.

"No, it's okay," Kise smiled, handing over his normal clothes. "You must be really tired, after all. You have to go by 7, right?"

Kuroko nodded, stripping quickly and doing a quick job of shoving the spare set of clothes on. Absentmindedly, he wondered if he had put anything on backwards or inside out, but he made no move to change again, too tired to care.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem. I'm a little bit early, but that's better for the both of us anyway," Kise said, shoulders raised into a half shrug. "You ready to go?"

Kuroko said nothing, merely following the blond out of the room. He caught sight of the bartender, who was just about finishing up with cleaning his area.

"'Morning. Have a good one," Takao said, raising a hand casually. "I'll take care of the rest. Don't worry about anything. You're fine."

Kuroko fought the feeling of guilt gnawing at him yet again. He wasn't doing anything right and all he was doing was earning pity from everyone around him. Leaving Aoi alone and expecting others to take care of her, trying to earn money but failing to do his work properly, making his friends all worried. He was really messing up everything.

Just when would he learn?

"You know, I've been circulating around the whole magazine department but I think photography is probably best for me," Kise mused, snapping Kuroko out of his thoughts. He held the door open for the bluenette before taking him to his car. "Writing articles was really hard and editing was even worse. I kind of miss the days when I was a model, but I'm too old now. Though I suppose I'm not _that _old if the agency keeps asking me to do commercials here and there."

Kuroko could only offer a tired, "I see."

"Tch, as talkative as always," Kise teased. Then he sobered. "How's Aoi?"

"She's doing well," Kuroko said softly, nibbling on his lip. "Today's Friday so I'll be able to spend more time with her today and tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to that."

"Are you doing anything special?"

They got in Kise's car, the blond immediately revving up the engine and warming up the interior. Kuroko's eyes automatically closed, though he was feeling relatively awake now.

"Probably just a stay-at-home day," Kuroko replied, rubbing his eyes. "I'm sorry, but would you by chance have some gum with you?"

"Kurokocchi…"

"I know it's disgusting," Kuroko said wearily. "But-"

"You don't need to explain to me. You're overwork- I mean, working really hard. I know. I get it. Do you want to stop by my place to freshen up?" Kise offered, grip tightening almost unnoticeably on the steering wheel.

"No, I'm fine…but do I look that terrible?" Kuroko wondered aloud with a grimace.

"It's not that…You just seem really tired. But you must get that a lot already from all your coworkers," Kise said apologetically. "I'm not helping at all, am I? Check in the glove compartment."

"Thank you," Kuroko said, grabbing a piece and chewing it slowly. He blinked at the familiar flavor. "It tastes like…"

"Vanilla mint," Kise finished. "Yeah. It was a new flavor out in the store near here so I thought I might try it."

"It's good."

"I'm glad. Well, we're here. Have a nice day, Kurokocchi."

"Thank you."

Kuroko opened the door and stepped out.

"We should have dinner together soon," Kise grinned. "Aoi, too, of course."

"Sounds good."

He closed the door and watched Kise drive away, waving slightly, staring until he could no longer see the silver car, before heading into the kindergarten. He stretched his arms out and took a deep breath.

Today was going to be a better day, he vowed.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hope you enjoyed it! By the way, _hinansho_ is supposed to mean "haven" but I might be totally off. That was the intended meaning anyway :)

It's a very introductory chapter, with very vague descriptions of characters and situations, huh… Things will clear up, I promise you. Couldn't give away everything all in one go though, could I? ^3^ Juggling lots of different situations and you just caught a glimpse into Kuroko's life. Backstories await. :)

Stay tuned~


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